Repository of Undrawn Comics
by ObeseCommando
Summary: I lack the patience to draw comics, so I'm writing out the ideas and keeping them here instead of having to make a load of new, individual stories. Ideas range from the silly to the serious.
1. Into the Depths of the Forest

**Placeholder**

In hindsight, Blake should have known that Yang could be very annoying when she set her mind to something. Throughout the past month, the boisterous blonde had acquired a new videogame called _Dark Souls 2_, having no qualms with jumping right into a sequel without playing the first game. The advertisements stated that the second game was more difficult than the first and, never being one to step back from a challenge, Yang had purchased it the next day. Blake had thought her partner would last a day with the game before throwing it away for not being one of the usual fast-paced, adrenaline-soaked shooters that Yang often played. However, instead of throwing the controller out of the closest window (again), the blonde persisted. Blake would have been fine if the events had ended there and Yang would stay quiet for once.

But then the brawler realized that there was multiplayer, and there was no one else she wanted to play with more than her very own partner.

For a month, Blake had been subjected to constant pestering. Nowhere had been safe, even the bathroom. It had been so easy to just give in and finally have quiet times again, which had undoubtedly been Yang's plan all along.

After an embarrassing amount of time at the character creation screen, Blake stepped under the digital sun of Drangleic. The water ramming against the waves far below the cliff face filtered through her headphones. At least it was a pretty game.

"Where are you?" Yang asked.

Blake jumped. She had forgotten that she could talk to Yang over their headsets. After taking a breath, Blake said, "I just got to this place called Majula."

"Great! Now hurry up!"

Blake pursed her lips and decided against responding. She had no idea where to go. A set of stairs down through an ominous archway seemed promising enough.

"There don't seem to be a lot of enemies in this game. I just walked through some gate in a tunnel."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Soon you'll have enemies for _days_."

"You don't have to sound so enthusiastic about it."

"Don't I?" Yang was failing to keep her humor to herself.

The tunnel ended with another set of stairs. Seeing no other way to go, Blake walked to the top. The empty tunnel gave way to a perilous, broken stone pathway. The ocean lapped at the remaining supports for the structure. In the distance, a large tower spewed fire out of the top. Perhaps it was some sort of lighthouse? Blake took another step forward and words appeared on the screen.

"Heide's tower of flame," she read out loud.

"Oh yeah, that place." Blake heard Yang's grin widen over the microphone.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." The blonde was barely keeping her laughter in check.

Blake shrugged, writing her teammate's behavior off as just one of her many eccentricities. The black-haired girl proceeded down the decrepit walkway, mindful of the drop below. She reasoned that any enemies in the area would not be too difficult if it directly followed the starting area. Then she saw the giant at the end of the path.

"Oh."

"Problem?" Yang asked, giddy as ever.

Blake felt a grin form. "Not at all."

Moving closer to the behemoth, she was able to see that he had a gigantic sword and shield. However, all of his equipment was a blue-green tint that made her wonder if the material had oxidized. She expected that he would move slowly. However, the old knight swung his sword as soon as she was close enough. After the first attack, the old knight pushed the assault with two quick swings. Blake hissed as one hit from the knight was enough to take away half of her health.

Blake rolled from the next round of the knight's attacks. Healing was her top priority, and there was no way the enemy could close the distance so quickly. Blake mashed the button to use her healing Estus flask, but after the first drink, her character took another.

"That's not what I wanted you to _do_," Blake said. With her two drinks gone, she had no way to heal herself. However, that would be a problem for after she had killed the knight. The giant sword appeared from the side of her screen and cleaved her character in two.

Two unhelpful words appeared on the screen: "You Died." In the corner, a little box appeared that said, "This is Dark Souls."

Blake groaned. "That's cute."

"Died?"

"Yes."

The answer caused Yang's eroding willpower to finally collapse. Blake had to remove her headset to get away from the raucous laughter. She could still hear it coming from a few rooms over.

"Oh man," Yang said, "I knew that was gonna happen. You also went the wrong way."

Blake's eye twitched. "Why am I playing this game with you?"

"Because it's fun!" While Blake tried to transmit her glare through the microphone, Yang added, "Don't worry, sour puss, I'll tell you were to go."

"Oh joy. Now never call me that again."

Blake followed Yang's instructions into the Forest of Fallen Giants. She was delighted to see that there were no cliffs to fall from. But despite the grandiose name, the only enemies to fight were undead humans.

Once Blake had arrived in the area, Yang fell quiet, saying that Blake needed to feel the full experience on her own. The black-haired girl doubted that Yang got the "full experience" when she played. It was more likely that the boisterous blonde plowed through everything without a thought. Regardless, Blake was thankful to play without Yang's voice constantly in her ear. She was able to get a sense of the world she was currently fighting against.

Drangleic seemed to be nothing more than a world of ruins. While she navigated and fought, a sense of melancholy settled on her shoulders. The infantry that she slew shambled towards her to attack with rigid, yet reckless, movements. Hearing their groans and seeing her soul counter increase made Blake wonder if she was the victor of hard-won fights or simply presiding over a lot of mercy killings. The lack of music gave no indication of how she should feel, as if the world did not care about her or had simply forgotten how to express itself. Or maybe the world had already died and she was just one more maggot writhing in the corpse. Blake dispatched a row of Royal Guardsmen near their failed ballista trap and saw a man sitting by a gate.

Blake slowly approached, mashing the lock-on to see if the man would attack. When she was close enough, she saw a prompt to talk with the man.

"Yang, I just met some guy named Pate."

"Finally!" Yang shouted. In a more reserved tone, she added, "Go through the gate next to him and you can get something that'll let me summon you. This is going to be so cool!"

Blake rolled her eyes and stepped through the gate. "I still don't know why I have to help you when you should be helping me. Haven't you played this game for a month?"

"Yeah, but I had to make a new character to play with you. It wouldn't be cool if you were farther than the person who was helping you out, right?"

Blake didn't dare to question the blonde's logic for fear of having a headache. Besides, a trio of enemies approached her. Halfway through the fight, she heard the gate loudly close behind her.

"Why didn't you say the gate would close?"

"It's not that far to the exit," Yang said.

"But I'm out of Estus! What if I die?" Blake's eyes widened. What if she was going to lose all of her souls? That meant she couldn't level up!

"Well," Yang said, "I guess you're just going to have to get good."

"You're so inspirational. Why did Ozpin make Ruby the team leader and not you?"

"Because I'm too real."

Blake shook her head. Though crudely worded, Yang's advice was sound. She would just have to play smart and not die. She saw that the only way to go was through a dark doorway. No dying. Piece of cake.

After five harrowing minutes, Blake found herself in front of Pate once again. She listened to his dialogue and was given an item: the white soapstone.

"I got the item," Blake groaned.

"Sweet! Put your sign down and I'll grab you."

"I don't follow." Blake leaned against the back of her chair and rubbed her eyes.

Yang sighed. "Equip the soapstone and use it like your flask."

Blake followed the directions and watched her character write a sign on the ground by Pate. Her character hadn't finished the writing animation before a notification said she was being summoned to another world.

"Gotcha!" Yang chirped.

"I can't wait." Blake took a sip of her tea and almost spat it out when the game loaded and another message appeared. She read, "Summoned to the world of Blake Belladonna?"

"Pretty cool, huh?" Yang asked.

Blake looked at Yang's character and felt like she was looking in a mirror.

"That's not creepy at all."

"Great! Let's go!"

Blake watched her digital replica run away. With a groan, she followed Yang toward back toward the ballista trap. Instead of running into the room, Yang turned left, toward an area Blake had yet to visit.

"See that big metal jerk over there?" Yang asked. Blake looked across the barrel-filled courtyard and grunted. The enemy looked like a humanoid metal turtle with a big hammer. "On the count of three, let's run across and cattack him."

Blake felt the gears in her brain come to a screeching halt. "Did you just say 'cattack'?"

Yang's laughter was the only confirmation she needed. Instead of responding, Blake exited the game, much to the blonde's dismay. Blake made solemn vow to never play with Yang and her puns again.


	2. The Bearer of Forbidden Knowledge Part 1

**The Bearer of Forbidden Knowledge**

A/N: I hate having to manually put in my own Author's Notes.

Ruby shut herself away from the world with her headphones. Though the music was playing at the loudest volume, it was just barely loud enough to keep out Yang's voice. Ruby loved her sister, but sometimes she wished that the blonde could play a videogame in silence, especially when the Ruby could hear her sister clearly from a different room. The music blasting into her ears was all she could do to have the solitude to properly immerse herself in her book. Although the redhead could have walked to the library, Ruby found that she lacked the energy to get out of her comfy bed. The sheet hanging over it also helped to keep the rest of the world out and provide the ultimate sanctuary from everything but Yang.

However, the world always found a way to intrude upon her private time. This time, the avatar of annoyance took the form of a pale hand. Ruby felt a brief flare of agitation as she saw her curtain get pushed away. A blast of cold air hit the side of her face and she groaned. All Ruby wanted to do was finish some personal reading that wasn't a textbook. Was that so much to ask? Her annoyance faded when she saw Weiss's head peeking over the edge of the bed.

Ruby turned down the volume of her music, hoping to get back to her book as soon as possible, but conversations with Weiss seldom went in the redhead's favor. Ruby still remembered when she had gone two meals without eating a vegetable. The verbal lashing she received from Weiss was enough to make half of the cafeteria go back in line to get something healthy. Ruby steeled herself to face the consequences of whatever miniscule mistake she had made before facing her partner. However, all of her defenses were blown away and were replaced with surprise.

Weiss's expression was impassive, which was a far cry from the irritated look Ruby expected. The heiress's ponytail was frayed and looked as if she had been playing with it. Her cheeks were redder than usual, and her icy eyes were dull. Ruby leaned forward. The sudden movement snapped Weiss out of whatever internal struggle she was experiencing, which caused her to give a tiny jump when she noticed Ruby was looking at her. The redhead waited as Weiss composed herself as best she could, even though only her head was visible. When she was done, her face was still red, though for what, Ruby didn't know.

"Can we talk?"

Confused, Ruby closed her book and sat up. "You don't need to ask permission, but sure. What's up?"

"I've been thinking about our partnership, and I want to try something."

The words triggered a memory of Ruby's pre-teen years. Weiss and their Beacon dorm faded away, and Ruby was back home. It was dark and Ruby wanted to stay in her bed and sleep, but nature had an awful habit of calling when she was having a good dream. All she knew was that the dream revolved around a gang called the Tunnel Snakes. Ruby saw that the light to her father's study was on. Since it was on the way to the bathroom, Ruby had no choice but to pass by. She could hear two women talking, but fatigue and inattention allowed her to block most of it out.

However, as she passed by the opened doorway, she couldn't help but looking at the computer screen, which depicted two half-naked women that looked like they were trying to eat each other. Their moans were so loud; Ruby wondered how she hadn't heard it sooner.

"I want to try something," said one bronzed woman with unnaturally large breasts to her companion before throwing her against a wall and resuming their tongue wrestling. Ruby never saw what "something" had turned into. She had immediately run back to her room and hid under the covers.

"Ruby!" Weiss scolded. "It's rude to not pay attention when someone is trying to talk with you!"

Ruby blinked. Beacon reformed itself around her. Weiss didn't look happy. She kept looking at the door as if she expected something awful to happen.

"Sorry. Just," Ruby paused. She couldn't explain what had happened. What the words did to her. There was no way Weiss was there for _that_ sort of something. Or was she? Ruby wanted to strangle her mind, but that could wait until after she told a lie. "I was just thinking about an upcoming project."

The answer satisfied Weiss. "That's good. So like I said, I was thinking about how to increase our partnership with some trust exercises. So I wanted to tell you a secret about myself and you can only keep it between us. Deal?"

Ruby fought the urge to roll her eyes, though she did find the idea exciting. But didn't a trust exercise involve two people having less than complete trust in each other? "Is this something we have to do?"

"If I'm going to be your partner for four years, yes. Though I don't like to admit it, I am going to place my life in your hands."

Ruby pouted. "But I already trust you."

Weiss blinked. Ruby wondered if her partner was having trouble understanding the concept. After a long pause where she didn't make eye contact, Weiss said, "That's fine. But I still need some proof."

Ruby wanted to protest, but she decided against it. Perhaps Weiss was so bad at regular social interactions that she could only open up to others on her own terms. "Fine. What's the secret that I will take to my grave?"

Weiss quickly looked at the door again as if she expected someone to come through right at that moment. Ruby wished Blake would come through just to see the heiress's reaction. Her efforts to summon Blake failed. When Weiss was satisfied, she turned back to Ruby and blurted, "I also like the Achieve Men."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. She looked at Yang's poster and then back to her partner. The remains of Weiss's stand-offish demeanor had shattered with the confession, and her face had turned blood red. Her eyes had shrunk to pinpoints and her head bobbed as she shifted her weight.

Despite Weiss's reaction to her own thoughts, Ruby couldn't see why anyone would consider that a deep, dark secret. Plenty of people liked the Achieve Men. Perhaps it was because Weiss was always so proper that anything associated with the common-folk was taboo. Ruby sighed, but she saw no need to make her partner more uncomfortable. And it did make the redhead happy to see Weiss open up.

"Alright, Weiss. Your secret is safe with me."

"It better be," Weiss snapped.

"I have to admit, I didn't think you'd like the Achieve Men. I think Yang is a fan, too."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong with Yang?"

At that moment, Yang shouted, "Oh, you think your little miracles are gonna save you? Ah, crap. Maybe they will. Just let me heal and we'll see if you like my fist shoved down your throat!"

Weiss looked at Ruby as if the outburst would be a sufficient reason. To the redhead, it was just her sister's usual antics. Videogames pulled out a weird part of her.

Seeing that her message was lost, Weiss said, "There's nothing wrong with Yang. She's just a little too passionate at times. Plus, since she's also a fan of them, it makes it very difficult to be around her because—" Weiss paused. Ruby leaned forward. Weiss looked everywhere around Ruby before finally letting out a loud sigh. "Because I kind of want to join in with her."

It took all of Ruby's willpower to not let out a squeal. The heiress's opinion of Yang had changed from Weiss's usual, icy self to something too cute to bear. With the two teammates often arguing or simply civilly living together, Ruby thought it was great that there was something the two shared in common.

The train of thought was derailed as soon as Weiss spoke again. "Remember, you promised not to tell anyone. Especially Yang."

Ruby deflated. She had already forgotten about the trust exercise. "Fine," she groaned. "Will there be anything else?"

Weiss shifted her weight. "Not unless you want to tell me a secret."

"But I don't have to?" The mere possibility of spilling her deepest, darkest secret was enticing. Ruby could feel it surging within her, begging to be released and known to the world.

Weiss huffed. "I suppose not."

The blood pulsed in Ruby's ears. Sure, finally removing the burden of the secret would be great, but the possibility of others learning it would be too great. Plus, she would be altering Weiss's perception of the world forever. Provided that she lived long enough. If Ruby told the prim and proper heiress the secret, how soon would she have to make sure that her partner suffered a potentially-fatal "accident?" There would be so many factors at play, though. Beacon was large, but there was always somebody walking around. Ruby shook her head. It was neither the time nor place to be thinking about that. It could come later.

"In that case," Ruby said, "I'll choose to go back to my book."

Weiss showed no reaction as if that was what she had been expecting. She gave a curt nod and walked out of the room. Ruby watched her go and put on her headphones. Before losing herself in her book, she thought about how keeping Weiss's secret would be a piece of cake.


	3. Weiss and Blake in the Big World Part 1

**Weiss and Blake Take on the Big World**

Weiss had stopped screaming. It had done nothing to alter her situation except for leaving her with a sore throat. Her captors continued without a care beyond the shiny, transparent barrier, which was enough to send the heiress into a quiet rage. It reminded her of her childhood: a whole lot of talking and attempts to be noticed and everyone around acting as if she didn't exist. The only difference was that her restraints were now physical, although the captors were sloppy and had only tied up one hand and her waist. The heiress worked her free hand under the plastic tie around her waist and pulled as hard as she could. The plastic barely shifted.

The heiress swore and shook her hand before working on the restraint around her wrist, hoping that it would be easier to remove. If she could get both hands freed, she could get to her beloved weapon, Myrtenaster. Weiss could see the weapon suspended next to her. Whoever had captured her had been very sloppy, indeed, which only served to further infuriate the heiress. Two bonds should not have been enough to keep her away from her sword. Weiss swore again, unable to obtain the proper leverage to free herself in her forced, kneeling position. The heiress's mind filled with all of the creative forms of torture she could inflict on her captors once she was free.

The light suddenly vanished from the holding cell. Weiss forced herself to remain calm. Light could still be seen around whatever was covering the front of the cell, but it did nothing for Weiss as she realized that her cell was shaking. However, it was not a sporadic movement. It was too rhythmic. She was then gently placed down and, as the thing over the barrier withdrew, Weiss felt her heart stop.

It was a hand.

She had been captured by giants.

Weiss could now see that she had been placed on a table by a large cardboard tube and a gray cloth. The captors were still lumbering about, but now that she was closer, Weiss no longer thought of trying to harm them. Yet. That didn't mean she would stop thinking of torturing them. It gave her something to focus on. Weiss gave one more pull on her restraints before resigning herself to her fate and glaring at anyone who was too close.

However, the little heiress's rage was not eternal, and it was soon replaced by curiosity. Maybe she could get someone's attention and get some answers with a more diplomatic approach. And then she could attack. The giants continued moving as if she didn't pose a threat to their wellbeing. One of the giants approached and Weiss felt her heart beat frantically. Were they finally going to make their demands for her release? Instead of speaking, the giant put down a box next to her. Weiss's eyes widened when she saw Blake in the box.

Before Weiss could attempt to shout at her teammate, the giant scooped up the tube and the gray cloth and put them in a large cardboard box. Then he grabbed Blake's box and put her in. Weiss felt her pulse quicken. Where were they sending her teammate? Was the same thing going to happen to her? Then the giant turned his attention to Weiss and, his large eyes glazed over and without a hint of compassion, picked her up and deposited her in the same box as Blake.

Weiss squinted against the glare of the fluorescent lights shining above before the giant closed the flaps of the cardboard box. She was plunged into complete darkness and Weiss could hear the sound of tape being run over the split between the flaps. Panic combined with the need to remain calm. Weiss looked around her surroundings and realized she was straining against her bonds. Unsure of what to do before her heart detonated, the heiress did the one sensible thing: she passed out.


	4. The Bearer of Forbidden Knowledge Part 2

"A piece of cake," Ruby thought as she stared into space in the middle of class. If only she could have gone back in time and warned herself of Weiss's curse. It would have saved her of the week she spent realizing the true depths of her task. Every time Ruby saw Weiss and Yang together, it was obvious how much the two needed to know that there was something in common. Every time the whole team was in a class, the two never sat next to each other. Ruby looked at the empty seat between herself and Blake and pursed her lips. Weiss had been eager to volunteer in Professor Port's class once again, and the heiress was laying waste to a pack of Beowolves. Through it all, Blake seemed to be oblivious to the obvious split in the team, and for that, Ruby was envious of her black-haired teammate.

But what annoyed Ruby the most was that the secret shouldn't have weighed so strongly on her shoulders, yet it felt like she was hauling a boulder everywhere she went. She was sinking slowly under its weight and wanted to give Weiss her secret back. Such a small confession of liking a group of men that did something that Ruby wasn't sure of should not have given her so much trouble. So Weiss was a bit of a nerd, Ruby thought. The secret should only have been a speck of sand on a beach.

Ruby looked around the crowded classroom until she saw her sister. The blonde brawler was leaning back in her seat with a lazy grin. All Ruby would have to do is casually explain the situation to Yang and the secret would be on someone else's shoulder. But could she trust her sister to not tease Weiss about it? Images of worst-case scenarios played out in Ruby's head, and that was before she even considered what sort of torture Weiss had planned for whistleblowers. During their first-day initiation, Weiss had stopped herself from skewering Ruby with a rapier full of red dust. Would she make it a point to have an "accident" in another fight? Ruby shook her head. Her partner wasn't capable of murder. Although she did volunteer a lot in Professor Poop's class to fight whatever caged Grimm he had. What if Weiss was really a bloodthirsty killer that wouldn't hesitate to add a cute fifteen-year-old girl to the list of victims?

Ruby looked up from her doodles of Weiss stabbing a Beowulf just in time to make eye contact with Weiss as she plunged her sword into the last Beowolf's skull. A shiver went up her spine and she tried to see if Weiss was smiling.

"Bravo!" Professor Port boomed. "That was another excellent demonstration by Miss Schnee!" He clapped his huge hands together and surveyed the rest of the students. "Now remember, class, when trying to win a fight, dignity must be discarded. These Grimm are ruthless and do not abide by our rules of engagement. To be victorious, you must suck up your pride and roll around as if you are possessed. However, I would like to congratulate Miss Schnee for being the pinnacle of grace while rolling on the ground."

If Weiss felt self-conscious about Professor Port's evaluation, she didn't show it. Instead, she savagely removed her sword from the Beowolf in just a way to release a healthy spray of blood. The heiress had maintained eye contact with Ruby through the display.

Ruby forced a smile at her partner and all of her plans withered in fright.

Ruby kicked a rock along the sidewalk. If only there was a way to bridge that gap without breaking her promise. Then again, after that lecture, Ruby felt lucky just to be alive. Weiss had to know Ruby's intentions. There was no other explanation for the terrifying eye contact and bloody flourish. Ruby let her thoughts absorb her to the point that everyone else in the crowd melded together into a faceless blob. After walking for several fruitless minutes, the young redhead concluded that she needed to talk to Blake about the problem. There was no way the black-haired girl wouldn't immediately come up with a solution.

A piece of paper smacked her face.

Ruby peeled it away and, before discarding it into a trash can, noticed that it was a flyer for the Achieve Men's upcoming tour. The redhead almost squealed. She thanked the spirit of Blake and looked for the closest vendor. It was only four blocks away. If she could get Weiss and Yang a pair of tickets, then she wouldn't have to hold onto the terrible secret anymore and everyone could be happy! Ruby looked at the flyer and frowned. The tickets had been on sale for several days. What if they were already sold out? Ruby shook her head before exploding into a shower of rose petals. She couldn't let the doubts extinguish the one source of hope she had found in that awful week.

However, after a quick jog to the venue for tickets, the hope had been replaced with the sound of her wallet crying. Ruby looked at the two tickets in her death-grip and was relieved to get the last pair, but she would have to undergo a long time without snacks. It was an acceptable sacrifice. It was for the greater good. Just then, a person walked out of the bakery Ruby was passing.

A wave of pastry-scented air struck the redhead and her stomach gurgled loudly. Ruby looked and saw rows upon rows of cookies, cakes, and pies calling her name. Ruby's mouth filled with drool and she was willing to throw herself into the siren song. The redhead violently shook her head and almost struck another pedestrian. She couldn't falter in her plan, and she barely had enough money to pay for the airship ride back. Besides, she could make it back to Beacon, where there was bound to be some food. But the bakery was closer. Surely Yang would come pick her up if she couldn't afford the airship ticket. Ruby found that her hand was already on the door handle.

"No you don't!" she shouted and forced the traitorous limb back to her side. It was all for the greater good, Ruby reminded herself. She activated her semblance and ran away from the bakery. Tears burned her eyes.

Sometimes the greater good really sucked.

Weiss rolled her shoulders as she walked toward the dorm. She had finished her last class and was looking forward to finally studying. Professor Oobleck had made some interesting points about the beginnings of Vale that the heiress had not considered, and she was eager to do some additional research. She could already imagine having a nice cup of coffee and perusing various databases on her scroll. The thought made her step just a little quicker until she was almost skipping through the halls.

When she opened the door, Weiss saw that she was not alone. Yang was sitting on her bed, kicking her legs in the air. She was looking at two pieces of paper she had in her hand and her smile was beaming, but her shoulders were hunched. The blonde looked at Weiss and waved. "Sup?"

Weiss felt like her chest was going to explode. She could count the number of times she had been alone with Yang on one hand. "Hello."

The heiress was already moving toward her desk. If she could get lost into her work, she wouldn't have to put up with the pressure that Yang always caused. Why couldn't Blake or Ruby be around so Yang could focus on them instead? Weiss reached the sanctuary of her desk and hoped that the conversation would die.

Yang had other plans. Weiss heard the blonde hop off of her bed and walk to where she was sitting. "So a strange thing happened earlier. Ruby gave me these tickets, but then she and Blake disappeared."

"Uh-huh," Weiss said. She opened her scroll and waited. Her icy exterior would take care of the rest.

"And it seems like the show is tonight. You look busy, but if by some crazy chance you have friends outside of the team, do you know anyone who'd want to see the Achieve Men?"

Weiss felt like time had stopped. She had just told Ruby about her secret and now Yang had been given tickets to an Achieve Men concert while the other two team members conveniently disappeared. Weiss resisted the urge to smack her own forehead, but she didn't know why she expected any semblance of subtlety from the energetic redhead. However, Ruby was sending an obvious message without exposing the secret. It was an open invitation, and Weiss felt lighter knowing that Ruby was going to such lengths for the team. And it would waste Ruby's efforts if anyone else went with Yang.

Weiss swallowed. "W-well, if you have an extra ticket, I suppose I could go."

Yang looked at her as if she grew a second head. "Are you sure? I didn't tag you as someone who would enjoy something like this."

Forcing herself to act casual and not wring her hands together, Weiss said, "I guess there's a first time for everything."

The reason satisfied the blonde and she offered one of her large, carefree grins. "Alright! C'mon, princess. Tonight, you're hanging out with me!"

Weiss nodded and got out of her chair. There was no turning back now. Once Yang set her mind to something, there was nothing that could deter her. And it was better than hearing Yang deny the heiress outright. "What time are we leaving?"

"As soon as you change out of your uniform!" Yang threw a set of clothes at her, which Weiss quickly grabbed.

"But it's only three in the afternoon. Concerts are typically later in the day," Weiss said, making no move to change. Though she was excited to finally see the Achieve Men and have a reason to discuss the group with Yang, she still wanted to get some studying done.

"Well yeah, but if we're going to hang out, we're not just gonna go to a concert!" Yang said. "Besides, we don't have classes tomorrow, so loosen up and hurry up."

Weiss frowned, but she couldn't complain too much. She had wanted this. Knowing that any further complaining was pointless, she turned around and started to unbutton her blazer. Yang coughed into her hand and shuffled back to her bed. The air suddenly felt thick.

"So if we're going so early, what sort of plans do you have in mind?" Weiss asked. The clothes Yang had given her were more casual than she often wore. The fabric of the t-shirt rubbed against her collarbone and the pants hugged her legs. A light blue jacket and pair of tennis shoes finished the ensemble. She didn't remember packing any of the clothes. Looking at Yang's back, the heiress said, "You can look now."

Yang smartly turned on her heel, a light blush dusting her features. "That's easy! We're gonna go everywhere we can."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

"Just trust me." Yang grabbed the heiress's hand and pulled her out of the dorm before she could react. Weiss bit the inside of her cheek. Part of her didn't want to trust the impulsive blonde, but the other part was already happy that they were going to an Achieve Men concert. Perhaps, Weiss thought, she could try relaxing for just one night?

The two passed through the many halls and courtyards of Beacon until they were standing in the student parking lot. Yang let go of Weiss's hand to fish out her motorcycle keys. The lost contact made Weiss feel a little colder, but she didn't have the time to contemplate it, as a blue and white helmet was suddenly shoved at her face. "Here, try this on," Yang said.

Weiss accepted the helmet and turned it over in her hands while Yang donned her own helmet. A crude snowflake had been painted on the front. "I didn't expect you to have something like this," Weiss said.

Yang smirked. "What? You don't own the monopoly on blue and white, princess." Before Weiss could offer a retort, Yang looked aside and added, "Plus, since we were all put on a team, I went out and got one for you and Blake. I wasn't gonna let you two go through four years without a ride."

Warmth spread through Weiss's chest as she pulled off her hairpiece. She ran a hand through her ivory hair before putting on the helmet, but not before noticing that Yang was staring at her. Years of feeling like she belonged in her father's trophy room made it easy to deal with the nerves. "Can I help you?"

"How does the helmet feel?"

"It's a little loose."

Yang tutted and was suddenly standing much closer. The blonde grabbed the chin straps and pulled. The heiress, not sure what to do, simply looked into Yang's lilac eyes.

"There. Better?" Yang stepped back with a large smile.

"Much." Weiss couldn't resist the urge to touch the straps.

"Great! Now then, princess," Yang gestured towards her motorcycle, "the mighty stallion awaits."

Weiss shook her head, but a smile formed regardless. "I am so sorry that Blake has to put up with you."

"Hey, I think she won the lottery." Yang hopped onto the motorcycle and started it before the heiress could deliver a retort. Weiss took the hint and climbed on. As the distance between the two teammates closed, Weiss was glad Yang couldn't see her face.

Yang immediately revved the engine and the two sped across the parking lot. As the world blurred, Weiss focused on Yang's back. If she had never told Ruby her secret, Weiss knew she would have continued on as she was: not exactly miserable, but very annoyed. Eventually, she would have slipped and said something, and everyone would have pointed at her and laughed. She thought of Ruby, the underestimated and hyper team leader. Weiss wondered if there was some way she could express her thanks. Maybe she could get Ruby a cake.

Weiss closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind rushing past. She could think of a better way to thank Ruby later. After she went to the concert. After she spent some time with Yang.


	5. Weiss and Blake in the Big World Part 2

Weiss woke up as the box shifted. A faint light passed through the tape, and it was enough to see by. She made use of her limited ability to move to spot Blake's box. Once she did, she saw that Blake had vanished. Her teammate's box was opened, the top flap showing an indifferent picture of Blake staring back. Whoever had created the picture most likely tried to give the black-haired girl a mysterious look, but Weiss was torn between thinking that the picture was mocking her or was sympathetic, as if to say, "Hey, you're in this terrifying situation, but I'm going to leave you to deal with it by yourself."

Her pulse quickened and she tried to move. The restraints bit into her wrist, but she didn't care. Blake could have possibly shed some light on the situation. Plus, there was no way Blake could have gotten far. The giants had effectively sealed them into the box. But the box was also made of cardboard, and if their captors had been as ignorant with Blake as they had been with her, then the black-haired girl most likely had her weapon and could've chopped through the box. But surely Blake would have come for her, right?

Though Weiss was loathe to admit it, she didn't like being alone and wanted to see her friend. Without Blake, the heiress couldn't stop herself from thinking about the worst-case-scenarios to explain her disappearance. Perhaps there was some sort of awful monster in the box. What if it came for her next?

"Good morning," Blake said from behind.

For the first time since she gained consciousness, Weiss was glad to be restrained. The plastic kept her from jumping a foot into the air, where she would have remained as her soul passed into the afterlife. She looked over her shoulder to see Blake was working on the ties keeping Weiss in her uncomfortable pose.

"How the—" Weiss started, but she cursed herself when the words failed to form.

"Don't tell me you've never woken up and busted out of captivity before," Blake said with a smirk.

"Of course not! I'm not some criminal!"

"That's right. You're a good girl," Blake said. Weiss could hear the smile in her voice. "Can't say the same for the rest of your family," Blake added. "That should do it."

Weiss immediately fell forward, but she picked herself off the ground and stood. After spending hours crouching, standing up and stretching felt heavenly. She took a step forward and hit the plastic wall in front of her.

Blake chuckled and Weiss felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "You have to climb out."

"I figured," Weiss shot back, "but there's more plastic above me."

Blake frowned. "Hold on a second."

"Oh, I've got nothing but time right now." Weiss watched Blake leap out of the box. She crossed her arms and inspected her nails. At least she was out of her restraints, but the questions just kept piling. First and foremost, she decided that they needed to find Yang and Ruby. Suddenly the box shifted and Weiss was thrown onto her back. She could clearly see the little strip of light. "What was that?" she shouted.

The plastic that Weiss was on shifted and she realized that she was being pulled out of the box. Once she was freed, she stood up and reeled on her teammate. "Can you at least warn me before you do something like that?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Yang has been an awful influence on you."

"I agree."

Looking at Blake, or specifically her weapon, reminded Weiss of her own sword. She turned around and felt fresh fury flow through her veins as she took in the way her weapon had been handled.

"What sort of idiot thought my sword could be properly handled with tape?" Weiss shouted. "Are they so ignorant as to think this is the proper way to treat a weapon? What if the dust reacted to this maltreat—" Weiss's rant died as soon as she touched the hilt. "It's plastic," she deadpanned.

"It's better than nothing," Blake said, swinging her weapon in a lazy figure-eight. "We still don't know where we are or where the rest of the team is."

"Those are the more pressing issues, but I also want to know why our faces are on these boxes and how we got into the land of giants."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Giants?"

"Weren't you awake? What do you remember?"

Blake put a hand to her temple. "Not much. I saw the lights, then it was dark and I was bound. I got out and saw you. The rest is history."

Weiss crossed her arms. "So nothing about how we got captured. Great."

The heiress tried to keep the anger out of her tone, but she couldn't help it. The lack of information in the weird situation was enough to drive her crazy. Besides, Blake knew her well enough to know how she reacted to a lot of things: poorly. Weiss peeled the rest of the tape off of her sword and tried to slide it into her belt, but it wouldn't go in. "This day is just getting better," she muttered.

"Once you're done up there, I'd like to explore the rest of this box."

Weiss sighed and clutched her sword. She jumped down from her plastic perch and immediately stumbled. Blake quickly reacted and caught her before she fell. Weiss nodded her thanks before looking at the sole of her shoe. A black, cylindrical protrusion jutted out from her shoe and knee.

"Why do I have these?" Weiss asked to herself.

Blake looked at the odd cylinders for a moment. She bit her lip and lost herself in thought before saying, "I don't know. I have something like that on my foot. Can you feel it?"

Weiss poked the cylinder. "No. I can't imagine running like this with two of them. Maybe this is to make sure we don't escape?"

"I doubt it. There hasn't been any other security." Blake's eyes flickered over to her sword. She then let out a breath between her teeth and said, "I'm going to try cutting mine off."

Weiss felt the blood drain from her face. "You're insane."

Blake's hands were shaking and she took another deep breath. "Maybe."

"Even if this isn't going to hurt or handicap you in some way, how do you expect to cut it off with a plastic sword from a sitting position?"

"It's nothing I haven't done before!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'll completely believe you have cut off part of your foot before. From your angle, you won't even have enough leverage to get a clean cut. Try cutting mine instead."

Blake looked at the heiress. "Are you sure?"

Weiss was already settling on the ground. Blake, unsure of what to do, stood next to her and surveyed the two cylinders. "The knee is going to be the most trouble. Don't want to cut too deep. Going to need to be some clean cuts."

Weiss whimpered, "Just do it already."

She had shut her eyes and kept them as tight as she could, too scared to curse her own cowardice. Her whole body felt like it wanted to fold in on itself, but she forced herself to remain lie straight. If she moved, Blake could remove more than just the pegs.

Blake hefted her sword over her head and took the time to make sure the cut would be pristine. In the middle of a fight, the black-haired girl was able to deliver the right strikes against her opponents. But now, when faced with the possibility of maiming a teammate, she found that she was hesitating. Thoughts of Weiss without a leg in this unfamiliar world could be the death for both of them. Blake forced the thoughts out of her mind. There was no use in thinking about what-ifs. She would cut the pegs off, Weiss would be fine, and then the heiress could return the favor. Before she lost herself again, Blake raised her sword over her head and delivered a harsh chop to the peg on Weiss's foot.

To her credit, Weiss didn't scream when Gambol Shroud fell across the two pegs. When they were gone, Blake put her hand on Weiss's shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. "You did a good job."

Weiss slowly opened her eyes and, in the faint light of the box, could see that there was a black spot on her knee.

Blake followed her gaze and said, "I didn't want to go any lower, but it shouldn't affect your movements. Try walking around."

"Actually, I just want to lay here."

Blake twitched her bow. The amount of stress she had repressed while cutting the pegs off was finally catching up to her. She could only imagine what Weiss was going through. Blake looked around the box and saw a large, soft-looking thing in the corner. She hobbled over, annoyed that there was still a peg attached to her foot, and grabbed the soft thing, which she dragged over to Weiss's prone form. "Here," Blake said, putting the corner of the soft thing over Weiss. "Take your time."

"Blake," Weiss said, voice laced with fatigue. "Be here when I wake up, okay?"

The black-haired girl looked at her teammate. She would still have to cut off the peg on her foot, but that could wait for after Weiss had fallen asleep. Settling down on another part of the soft thing, Blake said, "Of course. Now get some rest. We'll explore the rest of this stuff later."


End file.
